Travel in the Time of Coronavirus

When you live in North Texas, getting to a body of water other than man-made lakes means a six-hour car trip, as least. But seeing that our daughter Hannah invited us to share a beautiful beach house in the coastal town of Port Aransas, near Corpus Christi, off we went. Their vehicle was loaded with Hannah and Reagan, Lena, Noah, Booker and Lena's friend Olivia. Ours held all the luggage and other items.  

Some adjustments had to be made to accommodate the spike in COVID-19 infections in the Lone Star State. We packed a lunch so we wouldn't have to stop for food on the way down. However, we did need to make a gas and potty stop at that Texas institution, Buc-ees, recognizable by its toothy beaver logo. (The English teacher in me cringes at the name.) This gigantic travel store touts its very clean bathrooms, so I felt fairly safe, although I masked up and took along an antibacterial wipe to swab down any surfaces I might touch. I got in and out quickly, steering clear of those folks who were not wearing masks. 

When we finally arrived, Hannah went out to get groceries to cover breakfast, lunch and snacks. Although part of the fun of travel is restaurant dining, but that was not in the cards this time around, so we got take-out to feed ourselves and the four kids. It was a great break from the quarantine routine at home, with lots of beach and pool time for the kids and plenty of time enjoying the view of the Gulf of Mexico from the deck, listening to the waves crash on the shore. The house was new and beautifully decorated, with comfortable beds, gourmet kitchen, a huge TV, books to read and lots of space. But soon it was time to return home to Dallas. The final morning brought heavy humidity and killer mosquitos, so we were glad to load up quickly and get in the nice cool car for the trip home.

Andy and I decided to take a different route home to break things up, but when it came time to gas up and get some food, we stopped at another Buc-ees. Sandwiches and a fruit cup were grabbed and we got the heck out of there as quickly as possible, arriving home just before dinnertime,

We had begun to relax a bit recently, getting badly needed haircuts and pedicures, and going out to eat a couple times, carefully distancing from others. But now there's been a tremendous surge in new cases in Texas, so we've again battened down the hatches and going out only when absolutely necessary. We'll enjoy our beach memories for some time to come. Stay well, my friends. 

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